(HorizonPost.com) – South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott became the latest to drop out of the 2024 race when he revealed Sunday night that he is suspending his campaign for the GOP nomination, CBS News reported.
Scott made the unexpected announcement during an appearance on Fox’s “Sunday Night in America” with host Trey Gowdy, saying that while he was looking forward to returning to Iowa, he would not be returning there as a candidate for president.
Just moments before Scott’s surprising announcement, his campaign sent out a fundraising email asking voters to help Scott reach his goal by donating to the campaign over the weekend.
Scott explained to Trey Gowdy that the American voters had made it “really clear” that now was not the time for him. The South Carolina senator said he had no plan to give his endorsement to one of the remaining Republicans running for the nomination.
When asked if he would consider the VP slot for the eventual nominee, Scott said he entered the race to be president and serving as vice president was never on his “to-do list for this campaign.”
Sources familiar with the Scott campaign told CBS News that his announcement came as a surprise to his campaign staff.
Immediately after his appearance on Fox News, Senator Scott held a conference call with staff to inform them that he was suspending the campaign.
One campaign aide told CBS News that the announcement was a shock to “nearly everyone” with most campaign staffers learning about it in “real-time.”
A source close to the senator told CBS News that Republican voters aren’t quite ready “for an optimistic conservative.” The source said Senator Scott came into the 2024 primary “as a good guy” and will leave that way, adding that Scott’s “standing only improved” which is difficult nowadays.
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